November 14, 2025
Dear Church,
About a month ago, I shared with you that I participated in a gathering of 300 faith leaders across Minnesota. We gathered out of a shared sense that now is the time to come together and organize ourselves. Now is the time when we need to stand together and advocate for neighbor love in the face of an authoritarian regime that is tearing our country and democracy apart.
I’m excited to share with you today that the movement is growing and the planning is underway for organized, mass actions over the coming months. A broad coalition of clergy, congregations, denominational leaders, and faith-based organizations are working together to devise a strategy and plan for Christians across the country. Pastor Reed and I are committed to being part of this movement, and we are also committed to helping all of you stay informed and involved in it with us.
For today, I wanted to share two things – one that is coming up next month, and the other that is not until March 2026, but it gives you a sense of the kind of large-scale action being planned:
1) Coming up soon! “A Light in the Storm” Convention on Saturday, December 13 – 12:00-6:00p. Registration Link
The goal of this event is to have 5,000 people from across the state come together to launch an agenda in this moment – an agenda that will protect our state, neighbors, and families in the face of rising authoritarianism. Together we can make Minnesota a place where families across race, place, and religion can thrive. This event is hosted by Isaiah and Faith in Minnesota.
For Grace, our goal is to have 30 in attendance. Yes, we know it’s right in the middle of the holiday season, but we also know it’s a critical moment in our political and national life. Please consider joining, and invite a friend or neighbor to come with you! Please also let Pastor Reed know if you’re planning to come so that we can keep track of where we are in meeting our goal!
2) Palm Sunday Path – March 29, 2026
This is a long way off, but I wanted to give you an idea of what is being planned in terms of a mass action for Christians across our country. You’ll remember that, on the first Palm Sunday, there were two processions happening in Jerusalem. Jesus entered on a donkey, a symbol of humility, and people laid down their cloaks and palm branches to worship him. Roman authorities also entered Jerusalem at the same time, but theirs was a procession of opulence and pride, designed to reinforce the power and control of the Roman empire. Jesus’ procession provoked and drew a contrast. And the idea for Palm Sunday 2026 is that we can, too. We know which procession we are called to be part of, and so we will do just that. On the afternoon of Palm Sunday, Christians are invited to leave their houses of worship and process to their State Capitol buildings. This is a way that, together, and publicly, we can show the world our Christian commitments to the way of Jesus, made evident in caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, and welcoming the stranger.
There will be a lot more information to share on this over the next few months, but I wanted to share it with you today so that you can begin to imagine what it might be like to join in this procession on Palm Sunday next year. What a witness this could be!
Every Friday, we send an email to the congregation and any others who would like to learn more about the Grace community. The last four Friday emails are posted below.